1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electric toaster, more particularly to an electric toaster that can enhance safety.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional electric toaster that includes a housing 10 having a toasting compartment 11, and a carriage 12. The toasting compartment 11 is provided with two slots 111 at its top for receiving bread 13 to be toasted. An electric heating unit (not shown) is disposed in the toasting compartment 11.
The carriage 12 is operable so as to move between an upper position and a lower position indicated by the dotted lines in FIG. 1. When the carriage 12 is disposed in the upper position, the electric heating unit is deactivated. When the carriage 12 is moved to the lower position, the electric heating unit is activated so as to toast the bread 13 loaded in the carriage 12.
In a normal state, the carriage 12 can be moved automatically from the lower position to the upper position in a known manner after a predetermined toasting cycle. Generally, an excited electromagnet is used to attract the carriage 12 during a toasting cycle. It is noted that an over-heating problem cannot be prevented when the carriage 12 is jammed at the lower position for some reason. In order to overcome the aforesaid problem, a relay can be used to control the supply electric power to the electric heating unit. Such a solution, however, results in a relatively high cost.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an electric toaster that can effectively control deactivation of an electric heating unit even when jamming of a carriage occurs.
According to the present invention, an electric toaster comprises:
a housing including a toasting compartment;
an electric heating unit disposed in the toasting compartment;
a spring-loaded carriage mounted in the toasting compartment and movable vertically between a lower position and an upper position, whereby a food item to be toasted is adapted to be loaded in and unloaded from the carriage when the carriage is in the upper position and whereby the food item is adapted to be toasted when the carriage is in the lower position;
an electromagnet disposed in the housing adjacent to the carriage when the carriage is moved to the lower position for holding the carriage in the lower position, the electromagnet being movable between a deactivated position and an activated position;
a power switch unit disposed in the housing and connected electrically to the electric heating unit, the power switch unit being driven by the electromagnet so as to switch from an OFF-mode, where the electromagnet is disposed in the deactivated position, to an ON-mode, where the electromagnet is disposed in the activated position; and
a control unit connected electrically to the electromagnet and the power switch unit, the control unit enabling the electromagnet to be excited when the carriage is moved from the upper position to the lower position so as to attract the carriage such that the electromagnet subsequently moves with the carriage from the deactivated position to the activated position, the control unit enabling activation of the electric heating unit to toast the food item in the carriage when the electromagnet is disposed in the activated position and drives the power switch unit to switch to the ON-mode.